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#5. Campaign Attribution: How to Track Marketing Performance Across GA4, HubSpot & Salesforce

Understanding how your marketing efforts drive conversions is crucial for optimizing campaigns and allocating budget effectively. Campaign attribution helps marketers determine which channels and touchpoints contribute to conversions. In this guide, we’ll explore first-touch, last-touch, and multi-touch attribution and how to track marketing performance using GA4, HubSpot, and Salesforce.

What is Campaign Attribution?

Campaign attribution is the process of assigning credit to different marketing channels and touchpoints along the customer journey. Proper attribution allows marketers to:

  • Identify high-performing marketing channels.
  • Optimize ad spend based on data-driven insights.
  • Improve lead nurturing strategies.
  • Align marketing and sales efforts for better conversions.

Types of Attribution Models

1. First-Touch Attribution

  • Definition: Assigns 100% credit to the first marketing interaction a user has before converting.
  • Best For: Measuring brand awareness campaigns.
  • Example: A user clicks on a Google Ads campaign, visits the website, and later converts. Google Ads receives full credit.
  • Tracked In: GA4 (First User Source), HubSpot (Original Source), Salesforce (Lead Source field).

2. Last-Touch Attribution

  • Definition: Assigns 100% credit to the final interaction before conversion.
  • Best For: Understanding what drives immediate conversions.
  • Example: A user first discovers a brand through an organic search, but later converts after clicking a retargeting ad. The retargeting ad receives full credit.
  • Tracked In: GA4 (Session Source), HubSpot (Latest Source), Salesforce (Opportunity Source field).

3. Multi-Touch Attribution

  • Definition: Distributes credit across multiple touchpoints throughout the customer journey.
  • Best For: Holistic view of the customer journey and optimizing marketing mix.
  • Common Models:
    • Linear Model: Equal credit to all touchpoints.
    • Time Decay Model: More credit to interactions closer to conversion.
    • Position-Based Model (U-Shaped): 40% credit to first and last touch, 20% spread among middle interactions.
    • Data-Driven Model: AI-driven attribution using machine learning (GA4, HubSpot, Salesforce Advanced Attribution).
  • Tracked In: GA4 (Attribution Reports), HubSpot (Multi-Touch Revenue Attribution), Salesforce (Campaign Influence Reports).

How to Track Attribution in GA4, HubSpot & Salesforce

1. GA4: Setting Up & Analyzing Attribution

Step 1: Enable Attribution Reporting

  • Go to GA4 Admin → Attribution Settings.
  • Select your preferred Attribution Model (default is Data-Driven).
  • Set Lookback Windows to define how far back GA4 attributes conversions (e.g., 30 days for paid, 90 days for organic).

Step 2: Analyze Attribution Reports

  • Navigate to Advertising → Attribution → Model Comparison.
  • Compare how different attribution models assign credit to channels.
  • Use Conversion Paths Report to see the full journey from first touch to conversion.

Key Metrics to Track in GA4:

  • Assisted Conversions
  • Path Length to Conversion
  • Source/Medium Contribution
  • ROI by Channel

2. HubSpot: Multi-Touch Revenue Attribution

Step 1: Enable Revenue Attribution

  • Go to Reports → Attribution Reports.
  • Select Revenue Attribution to analyze how marketing efforts contribute to sales.

Step 2: Track Attribution by Contact & Deal

  • HubSpot tracks Original Source (first touch) and Latest Source (last touch) for each contact.
  • Multi-touch attribution is available in Enterprise accounts, showing how different channels impact deal revenue.

Key Metrics to Track in HubSpot:

  • Marketing Channel Influence on Deals
  • Conversion Rate by Source
  • Lead-to-Customer Attribution Breakdown

3. Salesforce: Campaign Influence & Attribution

Step 1: Set Up Campaign Influence

  • Go to Setup → Campaign Influence Settings.
  • Enable Multi-Touch Attribution to distribute credit across multiple campaigns.

Step 2: Use Salesforce Reports

  • Run Campaign Influence Reports to see which campaigns assisted in closed deals.
  • Use Opportunity Source Tracking to determine which channels contributed the most revenue.

Key Metrics to Track in Salesforce:

  • ROI by Campaign
  • Opportunity Influence by Channel
  • Multi-Touch Pipeline Attribution

Best Practices for Accurate Campaign Attribution

  • Standardize UTM Parameters: Use consistent UTM tagging (utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign) for tracking marketing campaigns.
  • Integrate GA4, HubSpot & Salesforce: Ensure all platforms pass accurate attribution data between marketing and sales.
  • Use Data Warehousing for Deeper Insights: Connect GA4, HubSpot, and Salesforce data in BigQuery or Looker Studio for custom attribution models.
  • Regularly Audit & Test Attribution Models: Compare different attribution reports to validate data accuracy.

Final Thoughts

Campaign attribution is key to understanding marketing performance and optimizing spend. By leveraging first-touch, last-touch, and multi-touch attribution models in GA4, HubSpot, and Salesforce, businesses can gain actionable insights into customer journeys and marketing effectiveness.

Next Steps

In upcoming articles, we’ll explore:

Stay tuned for more Martech insights!

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